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Gábor Pásztor has always loved sports, his passion and athleticism leading him to compete in international track-and-field meets on behalf of his home country, Hungary. Today, he brings his speed, endurance, and coordination skills to the United States to help a new generation of soccer and track-and-field stars hone their natural abilities at Citius Athletic Club Miami. At his club, he helms US Soccer Federation–registered soccer teams in competitive play against other local organizations. And he's serious about the sport: He holds practice with four different age groups of students—ranging ages 3–13—three times a week.
In addition to prepping youths for league play, he and his coaches lead fundamentals classes for beginning soccer players. The fundamentals classes cover the same skills and techniques as the competitive practices, but students aren't required to compete in games or maintain perfect pitch during the "National Anthem."

Switch up your normal routine and head to Helping Hands Youth Center in Miami and experience something new.
Engage and tone every muscle in your body and kick your way to fitness victory.
Parking is plentiful, so patrons can feel free to bring their vehicles.

What services does your business offer and what makes your business stand out from the competition?
The official governing body of International Slow Pitch Softball.
What's one tip for first-time students that will make them feel like veterans?
Stay focused and motivated.
Train hard.
Use good equipment.
What was the inspiration to start or run this business?
Helping others stay healthy and active through the sports.
What do you love most about your job?
It's not a job when you're doing what you love!

The Marlins take the field at Marlins Park: an eco-friendly, 37,000-seat facility equipped with a retractable roof, plexiglass fish tanks behind home plate, and a vibrant sculpture in left-center field that kicks into motion for Marlins home runs. Born in 1993, the Florida Marlins quickly established themselves as contenders in the National League, taking home World Series titles in 1997 and 2003. And today, after some light rebranding to go along with the new stadium, the rechristened Miami Marlins aim to continue traditions new and old, expand their list of Hall of Famers, and train the stadium’s fish to stealthily intercept batting signals.

Groupon Guide

Whether played at a gym or a local playground court, pickup basketball is an entirely different beast from the officiated game. Players new to the pickup game tend to have lots of questions that need answering before they lace it up. Who calls fouls? Is it cool to talk trash? Is shirts and skins still a thing? To answer these questions, we turned to former college and semi-pro guard LaVar Merrell. Now a trainer at the East Bank Club—where none other than President Obama played on Election Day in 2008—Merrell gave us some tips on how to get the most out of your next pickup run.Be Proactive About Getting Into a GameMerrell's approach to getting playing time is simple: ask. "All you can say is, 'Hey man, do you have five? Can I play with you?’ Try to get in as soon as you can." Relying on your new shoes to get noticed won't necessarily get you into a game, either. "Whether you're wearing Jordans or Adidas or Nikes,” Merrell says, “we know some of those guys are just overcompensating because they're not that good.”Call Your Own Fouls, or Nobody Else WillSince pickup games don't have refs, fouls can sometimes become a point of contention. Should the ballcarrier call it when he gets hacked, or should the defender admit it when her hand-checking gets a little too physical? "The offensive player always calls fouls," Merrell insists. Some defenders will own up to fouling, but you shouldn't bank on it, especially if the contact is relatively light. Of course, it’s good to remember that "a slight bump is not a foul,” and you might get looked at the wrong way if you keep calling it as such.If You’re Hogging the Ball, Make Up for It ElsewhereNobody likes a ball hog, but your teammates should be fine with you jacking up lots of shots—as long as you make them. "If other people can vouch for you and you're a true scorer, then [it's ok to hog it]," Merrell says. But if you find yourself taking the lion's share of shots, be ready to make up for it elsewhere. You should be "getting rebounds, blocking shots, [and] at least playing some good defense.”Know Your Skills (and Your Limitations)Merrell advises all pickup basketball players to know their role on the court. "Stick to what you're good at," he says. If you know you can hit inside shots, don't stray far from the basket on offense. Still working on your three-pointer? Save the practice for when you're not in a game.Trash Talk Isn’t Just Allowed—It’s Part of the GameIf the player you're guarding scores a few in a row on you, don't be surprised to hear about it. Trash talk is part of what makes pickup basketball fun. "Trash talking is okay as long as it doesn't get personal," Merrell says, adding that anything said on the court stays there and shouldn't be taken to heart.This Isn’t the NBA, So Relax and Have Some FunA good teammate plays tough defense, moves without the ball, and looks to make the pass, but don't get too wrapped up in your LeBron impression. Remember, this isn’t Game 7 of the Finals. As Merrell puts it, "At the end of the day, everybody's just playing for fun.”Photos: Grant Walsh, Groupon.

Starting with the construction of Baltimore’s Camden Yards in the early 1990s, Major League Baseball stadiums began to take on more elements of the pastime’s past. Gone were the artificial outfields and multipurpose domes, replaced by classic touches such as red-brick walls and wooden bench seats. In recent years, however, the neighborhoods around some of these ballparks have evolved into trendy urban spaces complete with galleries, museums, boutiques, and breweries. Figuring out what to do before a baseball game has never been easier—if you are attending a game at one of these classic fields.Coors Field in Denver, COThe Neighborhood: Lower Downtown (or LoDo). Denver’s oldest neighborhood has revitalized itself in recent years, with breweries, art galleries, and nightclubs taking up residence in the area’s historic warehouses. Where to Eat Before the Game: Sure, the stadium has hot dogs, too, but you’ve never had a hot dog like the ones at Biker Jim’s Gourmet Dogs (2148 Larimer St.). Whether it’s made from rattlesnake or Alaskan reindeer, a sausage at Jim’s makes the ballpark fare seem like the minor leagues. Where to Drink After the Game: Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper founded Wynkoop Brewing Company (1634 18th St.) before he took office, and the brewery’s small-batch brews likely helped with his polling. Nearby, The 1up (1925 Blake St.) pairs drinks with retro video games. Read our Definitive Guide for the Arcade Bar before checking it out. What to Do with the Kids: The National Ballpark Museum (1940 Blake St.) houses bricks and seats from ballparks around the country, as well as colorful exhibits on Wrigley Field and Fenway Park.Fenway Park in Boston, MAThe Neighborhood: Fenway–Kenmore. Several neighborhoods in one, this historic district is rich in brownstones and benefits from the student life that spills over into Kenmore Square and east down Commonwealth Avenue. Where to Eat Before the Game: With five glorious variations on the tater tot platter—including one with poutine toppings!—The Lower Depths (476 Commonwealth Ave.) is the place to go. But parents take note: despite “Big Kid Plates” and build-your-own gourmet hot dogs, Lower Depths is strictly for grownups. Where to Drink After the Game: It’s hard to beat Boston Beer Works (61 Brookline Ave.), where the Bunker Hill Blueberry Ale—brewed and garnished with Maine blueberries—is always on tap. The landmark brewery is a stone’s pitch away from Fenway, attracting its fair share of students and tourists. What to Do with the Kids: Arrive early and take a guided tour of historic Fenway Park, where kids can check the massive Green Monster for any trolls living inside. The last tour of the day leaves hours before game time, but you can still catch a peek of the players warming up.Petco Park in San Diego, CAThe Neighborhood: East Village. The fastest-growing neighborhood in a city filled with them, the once-quiet enclave has transitioned from a community of artists to a hub of San Diegan nightlife. Where to Eat Before the Game: The owners of Grapes and Hops Deli (811 Market St.) seem to have confused San Diego’s East Village with New York’s. How else to explain a menu highlighted by towering pastrami and corned-beef sandwiches? Where to Drink After the Game: True to San Diego’s thriving craft-beer culture, Knotty Barrel (844 Market St.) is a newish gastropub with 20 craft brews on tap. Choose four from the sampler menu, and make sure at least one of them is brewed locally. What to Do with the Kids: East Village is renowned for being a bicycle-friendly neighborhood, so explore it on two wheels with a rental from The Bike Revolution (522 6th Ave.).Comerica Park in Detroit, MIThe Neighborhood: Downtown Detroit. Ground zero for Detroit’s continuing urban revitalization, this is where the Motor City’s theater, sports, and nightlife cultures collide. Where to Eat Before the Game: Bucharest Grill (2040 Park Ave.) may serve stuffed peppers and other staples of Romanian cuisine, but the casual lunch spot is more worldly than its name suggests. The hot dogs alone cover everywhere from Germany (the Berliner) to Michigan (the Hamtramck). Where to Drink After the Game: Sure, you could take a trip back to Bucharest or its next-door neighbor, The Park Bar (2040 Park Ave.), for coneys and Michigan-brewed craft beers. But if you’re attending a Friday or Saturday game, walk the extra half-mile to Cafe D’Mongo’s Speakeasy for classic cocktails, live music, and an overwhelming number of antiques. What to Do with the Kids: Arrive a few hours early and take a stroll down the scenic Detroit RiverFront. The RiverFront Conservancy even hosts an interactive kids’ program called Reading & Rhythm, during which youngsters can hear a story read by a local celebrity reader and ride on the Cullen Family Carousel.Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MDThe Neighborhood: Inner Harbor. A short walk from Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium, this historic seaport is now the beating heart of tourism in Baltimore. Where to Eat Before the Game: Baltimore is indeed a Southern city, and nowhere is that more apparent than at Miss Shirley’s (750 E. Pratt St.), where grits and fried green tomatoes share the menu with a B’more specialty—jumbo lump crab cakes. Where to Drink After the Game: If you’re in Baltimore and you’re not drinking Natty Boh, it’s time to see the light. Sliders (504 Washington Blvd.) is a bastion of sanity in a harbor gone mad, with $3 tall boys of the sweet Natty nectar on game day. What to Do with the Kids: One of the world’s largest aquariums, the National Aquarium (501 E. Pratt St.) houses more than 17,000 sea creatures. Don’t miss the exhibit that depicts a typical Australian river gorge, home to seemingly every species except the country’s kayaking wallabies.Photos: Coors Field by Max and Dee Bernt. LoDo Clock Tower by Nan Palmero. Fenway Park, Van Ness St, Boston (493465) by Robert Linsdell. section 300, row 19, seat 2 (Petco Park) by Peyri Herrera. Comerica Park by Michael Kumm. Detroit Riverfront by HarshLight. Oriole Park at Camden Yards by Keith Allison. All Flickr photos under CC BY 2.0.

The Montgomery Biscuits recently won a title, but it’s not the kind of title that most baseball teams vie for. In January, the Biscuits were crowned champions of Sporting News’ Minor League nickname bracket, which featured such fierce competition as the Toledo Mudhens, the Batavia Muckdogs, and the Vermont Lake Monsters. It may not come with a trophy, but for Sherrie Myers of Professional Sports Marketing, it’s the stuff of dreams. Myers and her company own the Biscuits as well as the Lansing Lugnuts, but ownership in the Minor Leagues is a tricky thing. For one, your team’s Major League affiliate has complete control over the players on the roster. “You don’t know whether you’re going to win or lose,” Myers explains, “so you can’t even really promote that.” Instead, Myers and her Minor League counterparts have learned over the years to focus on what they can control: the team names, the mascots, and the general fan experience. Here’s how they do it.Step 1: Embrace the Weirdness“Around 20 years ago was when we knew we needed to start making it entertaining,” Myers remembers, and so she and her associates began to embrace the “fun, wild, wacky” side of the sport. They started by branding their Lansing team the “Lugnuts,” a name that pays homage to the city’s automotive history while also sounding kind of funny. Though Lugnuts seems relatively tame compared to some of the weirder team names out there today, it was nothing short of revolutionary at the time. “The idea was always that [the name] had to be something like the ‘Senators,’” Myers explains. “It had to be serious. It had to be tough. Lugnuts? Well, everybody’s going to make fun of you.” And that’s precisely what everyone did.Step 2: Convince the Community“Everybody thought it was atrocious,” Myers remembers with a laugh. “The newspaper articles were horrible. You literally wanted to go hide, because everybody was mocking it.” But she also noticed something curious: people were lining up around the corner to get their hands on merchandise. Even David Letterman got in on the fun, wearing a Lugnuts hat on his show and pronouncing it “the best name I’ve ever seen.” The Montgomery Biscuits were met with similar jeers when they debuted in 2004. By then, people had grown accustomed to Minor League Baseball’s more off-putting names, but nobody had seen anything quite like the Biscuits. “Montgomery is the heartbeat of Civil Rights and the Deep South and all of that stuff—there’s a million things we could have done,” Myers explains. In the end, “we wanted something that did represent the South but also represented diversity. We wanted something [everyone] could relate to.” And what’s more relatable than a warm, buttery biscuit?Step 3: Invent the MascotOf course, the naming isn’t even the hardest part. The real trick is coming up with a living, breathing mascot that fans can engage with. “The mascot is the face of the fun,” Myers explains, and it has to have its own identity to play off. “A lot of people would say, ‘Well, why don’t you just have a walking lugnut or a walking biscuit,’ but it doesn’t really work that way.” You might notice that a lot of Minor League mascots defy characterization. The Las Vegas 51s have an elephant-alien hybrid named Cosmo, and the Albuquerque Isotopes have an orange monster named Orbit, but what do they have in common? Both mascots are zoologically ambiguous—they’re creatures, rather than animals. According to Myers, this is by design. “It can’t be something too specific,” she says, “because then it’s not mystical. The kids don’t have a reason to be curious about it. I mean, look at Barney. What is Barney?” It’s no surprise that the mascots for both the Biscuits and the Lugnuts defy characterization. The Biscuits’ mascot, Big Mo, is something Myers describes as “kind of a biscuit-eating, ant-eating, kind of aardvarky creature.” The Lugnuts’ Big Lug is similarly ambiguous, a purple dinosaur with messy red hair and two sabre-like teeth that come across as more goofy than scary. In the Minor League, success all starts with the face of your team. And history seems to say that the weirder the face, the better. Photos courtesy of Professional Sports Marketing.